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PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS HOW TO GET THERE

10 February 2014

Proverbs 15:30: A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good
news makes for goodhealth.

Hey!!!! Hope everyone is well!!

Today I want to share a thing or two about the essentials to
achieving a more cheerful/happier you. Recently I found myself thinking about
the pursuit of happiness after reading Proverbs 15:30 [Found Above]. Being
happy/cheerful is probably one of the easiest emotions to achieve; but
it’s so hard !!! Hah, what a contradiction huh? What I mean
is that the actual state of happiness is an easy emotion
to act in; however, preventing the transition from happy to sad/mad is the hard
part! As humans it’s not easy to remain unaffected by something or someone that
simply ticks you off.The pursuit of happiness can be a
tricky journey.

With that said, investing energy into being angry requires far
more effort than just being happy. Think about a baby crying for their mother.
After about 30 minutes to an hour elapses, the baby starts to lose momentum in
remaining fussy. The baby may continue crying if unattended, but slowly
the baby’s efforts in trying to get attention will subside and the screaming
will come to an end. Maintaining a cheerful mood is virtually effortless, but
being angry/sad can take a toll on a person physically. Think about it, someone
who is happy can remain so all day long with minimal effort, but a grumpy
person must constantly dwell on the thing that has made them grumpy to
continue in that emotion.

As God’s, we are made and called to be happy. Our default mood
is cheerfulness! This is why time, as a healer, never fails. Time
elapsed has a way of bringing a person back to equilibrium. Although
‘happiness’ is our default mood and requires the least amount of effort,
it is not always the easiest to invest in! Achieving happiness still requires
action on each person’s part; it’s really a choice you have to make. Many
things happen in our day to day lives that cause our emotions to fluctuate. As
a result, we must work hard to be cheerful. On the up side, we don’t have
to work as hard as it would take to stay grumpy/sad [PHEW!]. Joy, as a matter
of fact is one of the fruits of the spirit. These fruits are only developed by
those who are God’s children and have decided to put their trust in his ways.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things
there is no law.”

Which brings me to [What I've concluded to be] the essentials to
happiness on the pursuit happiness? The first is -

1. Trusting in God - There
are so many unknowns in this world that can cause one’s mood to go from happy
to unhappy quite abruptly. For instance, if you don’t get the job you applied
for, or if someone you care about backstabs you. How can someone possibly stay
happy after that? The answer is you CANNOT —- without God that is. Following
God and learning his ways teaches a person to be joyful and thankful for
everything that happens in life; GOOD and BAD. You act this way as a child of
God because you have come to understand the character of the God you are
serving and if something negative happens to you, you count it as blessing
because every negative thing that happens is for your betterment. God is
meticulous, and everything he allows – is to prepare you and build you up for
another moment in life.

2. Surround yourself
with cheerful people – The people you associate with can have a major
influence on the way you think and act. If you surround yourself with negative
people, who are always angry; sooner than later you will adopt some of their
character if you spend enough time with them. In a similar way, if you are
always in the presence of positive people, how can you not be? Think about it.

3. Pray for happiness and fake it until you get there
- This is the way it worked out for me. Whenever I feel
truly troubled by something in my life, I fake happiness. It isn’t easy by any
means, but it works! I remain smiley and try my hardest to conceal my mood.
Doing this is easier in a public setting, but once you’re alone faking it can
get pretty hard.This is why prayer is important; and I say this as someone who KNOWS!
It’s important to give your issue to God and not carry the burden of your
troubles. In God’s time, your answer will arrive. In the meantime, why not wait
on God while happy?

Mark
11:24 - Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will
be yours.